The Defence of Gibraltar Medal was instituted on 13 September 1782 by military commanders General Eliott and Sir John Picton, and awarded to British and Hanoverian troops present during the Franco-Spanish siege of 1779-1783.
Several private medals were struck to commemorate the Defence of Gibraltar during thesiege. The most commonly encountered are the ones struck in silver, which were provided by George Augustus Eliott and Sir Thomas Picton themselves.
The medal is struck in silver and measures 49 mm wide (Eliott) and 59 mm wide (Picton).
The obverse for Eliott’s medal was designed by Lewis Pingo and shows a view of the Rock and the naval attacks of 13 September 1782, the climax of the siege. The reverse shows an inscription reading BRUDERSHAFT (“Brotherhood” in German), above a wreath containing the names of the three Hanoverian commanders and General Eliott.
The obverse of Picton’s medal shows a map of the Rock. The reverse shows a 22-line text (the most verbose British medal) above a recumbent lion crutching a shield bearing the castle and key emblem of Gibraltar.
The award was given without a ribbon or suspension, although some later examples show a yellow one.
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